Shipping container



April 2l, 1936. c. c. sTETsoN SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed May 8, 1933 2 Smets-sheet 2 April 2l, 1936. c. c. sTl-:TsoN

SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed May 8, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Apr. 21, 1936 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

My invention relates to a shipping container which is sized to be of desirable proportions so that it will fit with a similar container, two

abreast, inside of the ordinary box car, in a manner to nearly fill the width thereof and thus the containers may brace each other at the sides while positioned side by side as twin containers. The advantage of my containers in this particular size also permits the same' tov be loaded into the box car so that when they are in place, side by side in the ordinary box car of approximately forty feet long, two pairs of these containers can be positioned in each end of the box car, while another single container may be set in or about the middle of the car with other merchandise or goods loaded about the same, thereby lling the box car in a desirable manner. With the containers set in this position there is little surface exposed to a thief or anyone who might tamper with the containers. This is a material advantage as it protects the shipper using a container the skids with a friction shoe which may be secured thereto in any suitable manner. This shoe may be made of any material which will increase the friction sufficient to prevent sliding of the containers on the floor which might more easily take place if the skids of the containers wear smooth after they have been used. The friction shoes may be attached in a manner so that they can be readily replaced after they become worn out. This friction means in the skids may also be in the form of resilient cushion elements, such as rubber or other similar means, which is supported within the skid. Several of these rubber cushions may be supported in each skid. The rubber cushions are removably supported within the skid, being held in a socket which fits into the body of the skid. The free end of thecushion which engages the surface of the floor is spaced from the body of the skid so as to permit slight movement of the container. This resiliently supports the container to permit it to shift slightly when carried in a railroad car, taking up some of the shock which might otherwise be transmitted to the container and its contents. l

A feature of my shipping container resides in means for interconnecting the containers in tandem by a resilient member which serves as a bumper member and which is attached to each container on one end thereof. The other end of each container has a yoke into which the` bumper may engage. This permits the 'containers to be easily connected together when it is desired. The bumper member carried by each container also acts as a means of resiliently securing thecontainer to theend of a railroad car, such as inside a box car. In this case the end of the car is provided with a suitable yoke into which the bumper may hook and thus the container is adapted to be held to the end of the car when it is desired. An advantage of this means of connecting my shipping container to the end of a box car or to a similar adjacent container, resides in forming the spring bumper and connector which is secured to the end wall of the box caror to the end of an adjacent container, in a manner so that as the shipping container is moved into the car and up against the end wall thereof, thev mere lowering of the container by the lift truck causesthe tongue of the bumper to hook into the yoke on the end of the box car wall by a sliding movement. The respective containers maybe connected together in the same manner as just described.

A further advantage of the spring bumper and yoke connection either toy the end wall of abox car or to the adjacent container, resides in Ithe connecting of the containers'in a manner so that the spring bumper serves a dual function. The bumper acts to pull or push as the direction of impact requires, to hold the container in place in the box car. shock` or strain against the end of the container in the coupling or uncoupling of box cars, or the starting. of the train, andthu's saves wear and tear on the container itself, as well as the contents thereof. The bumper is suiiiciently strong to provide an adequate holding or connecting means and yet supplies the resiliency which is so` much desired to avoid damage or shock to the contents.

vEach of my shipping containers is made of metal walls havingv a duplex trussed cross section which reinforces the double metal sheets forming the walls and which are welded togetherI in a manner to provide a smooth inner surface to -the sides and top thereof, while the door plates heretofore described protect the bottom. The ship ping containers are Weather-proof, lrat-proof, fire-proof, sanitary, and protect the contents against thieves.

My shipping containers are of a moderate size which permits them to be more easily handled without expensive equipment or hoisting means, owing to the fact that ordinary lift trucks may be -slid underthe same between the skids and then by a simple operation the containers are raised and may be trucked from place to place. The

skids hold the body of the container up off of the iloor away from dampness and thereby provide a better protection for the contents of the same.

It absorbs to a large degree the' The walls of the body of my shipping container are preferably made of duplex trussed steel plate which enables easy insulation with paper in the openings between the trussing ribs. When the walls are thus insulated, the contents are further protected against varying temperatures and weather conditions. The walls of the container may also be more fully insulated and protected by filling the spaces between the trussing ribs with a light-weight brous insulating material of any suitable nature, and this is a feature which is regarded as particularly advantageous in this form of construction. A further important advantage in the moderate size and easy manipulation of my container is that it can be readily placed on an automobile truck by the same hand operated lift truck which is used in positioning itl in or removing the same from a railroad car. Thus the container with its 'cargo or load can be loaded at a point remote from the railroad station and not unloaded until at its destination where the goods in the same are to be delivered. This is not possible as far as I know with forms of shipping containers which have been used heretofore, most" of which are of a. heavier and more bulky type and not designed to be paired together or connected in series as I have set forth.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 illustrates a diagrammatic plan view of an ordinary railroad box car shown in cross section and showing my shipping containers arranged therein to illustrate the manner in which my containers can be set in pairs of twins in the box car, virtually filling the width thereof and also showing one of the shipping containers in line with the doors so that the same can be readily removed from the car.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a pair of my shipping containers positioned adjacent each other to show the compact nature thereof and illustrating how they pair up in a railroad car.

Figure 3 is a plan View of my shipping container` to show the rectangular formation thereof and approximating the overall dimensions thereoi.

Figure 4.- is an enlarged vertical cross section transversely through my 'shipping container, a

portion of which is broken away.

' Figure 5 is an enlarged detail section of one of Y the skids, showing the rubber cushion friction means in the skid.

Figure is a perspective detail of a portion ofone end of my shipping container.

Figure '7 is a perspective detail of the opposite end of the shipping container to that shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a detail of the end inside wall of a railroad car, showing my connecting yoke secured thereto.

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9--9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is an enlarged section of the wall structure of my shipping container.

Figure 11 is a similar section to Figure 10, showing insulation between the sides and between the reinforcing truss portions.

Figure 12 is a plan detail of one end of my container, looking down on the spring bumper of the same. v

My 'shipping container A is of a rectangular shape and is formed with a body portion, the walls of which are formed of smooth plates I0 and II of sheet steel, between Which steel trusses I2 extend in a manner to space the plates I0 and II apart with the trussing zigzagging back and forth between the plates and having a contacting surface I3 to each of the plates I0 and II where the truss and the plates are Welded together, making practically an integral structure for the walls of the container. This trussed Wall construction provides a comparatively smooth outer and inner surface to the side walls I4 of the body of the container A.

The side walls I4 of the container rest and are connected to the bottom I5 with an overlapping connection as illustrated in Figure 4. The sides may be welded or secured to the bottom in any suitable manner. The top I1 is formed by two inclined portions which join to form an apex and are connectedby the T-iron I8 longitudinally along the same, while the outer edges of the ltop slant toward the side walls I4 and are connected by the angle members I9 thereto. The end 20 of the container A is closed while the opposite end 2l is provided with a hinged door 22 which may be secured by the lock 23 as well as the catches and locks 24. The body of the container A is supported on longitudinally extending skids B. These skids extend along each side of the bottom of the container A and are shaped to taper down into a smaller shoe portion 25 which may be covered by a friction plate 26 made up of a material to resist free sliding of the skidsB. The plate 26 may be replaceably secured to the skids B in any suitable manner so that they can be replaced when worn out. The skids B are formed with a recessed central portion 21 which permits the shipping container A to be easily moved over irregular surfaces without dragging of the skids even though the shipping container is not raised very high while moving.

The skids B are placed far enough. apart so as to provide a space 28, illustrated in Figure 4, between the same so that a lift truck of a suitable character may be slid under the container A and be caused to lift the container sunciently so that the truck can move the same from place to place.

Resilient cushions 30 which may be made of rubber or other suitable material can be placed in the skids B.' and are held in the thimble 3| so that the cushions 30 may be removed and replaced when it is desired. These cushions have a floor engaging portion 32 which engages against the floor and causes the body of the cushion to be compressed by the weight of the container, however, the end 32 is small enough to provide a space 33 around the same which permits a slight shifting of the container A when it is subjected to jolting or jarring in a railroad car, owing to the movement of the train or switching of the same. This protects the contents of the container A by supporting the same in a resilient manner. The cushions 30 take the place of the friction shoes 26 and prevent the container A from sliding too freely.

Heretofore steel shipping containersA have been objected to because the bottoms would wear smooth and they would slide too freely under jars or jolts, and this I have overcome by my friction plates 26 or the cushions 30. Further, I have provided a construction of container to more fully protect the contents of the same.

The sides I4 are provided with vertically extending spacers 34 which are placed in staggered relation so as not to align with an adjacent spacer 34 of another container A. These spacers hold the container apart so that they may be more easliy moved by the lift trucks by twisting the same slightly in removing them from a railroad car, or `in tight places. The containers may be made with or without these spacer members 34. The ridged top |1 gives more strength to the container, permits any moisture to readily drain oif of the saine, and prevents the container from being warped inwardly by placing ordinary loads on top of the same. For instance, when the containers A are used in the box car, like I have illustrated in Figure 1, long articles like rugs or other household goods, or other material, may be placed on top of the same, and with ordinary loads there need be no fear of injuring or bending the top of the container A.

I have shown by the dotted outline in Figure l, the approximate position of a lift truck D under one of the containers A. Nine containers A iit in a b'ox car having an inner dimension of forty feet and six inches by eight feet and six inches, and the space around the center shipping container A can be iilled with other material. When it is desired, the center container A can be removed and then the other containers A are easilyv accessible by shifting after removing the center container A.. The diagram of Figure 1 is illustrative to more clearly dene the practical nature of my shipping container A and to more fully illustrate the need of a container of about the proportions which I have illustrated and described and of the general construction of the same.

An advantage of my container is that it is comparatively light-weight owing to the trussed walls of the body of the same, and yet it is strong and durable, having several outstanding advantages herein pointed out. The end 2| of the container which'supports the door 22 is provided with a yoke 31 A secured centrally of the end 2|. The opposite end 20 of the container A is adapted to support the spring member 38, the ends 39 of which are secured under the container A and adjacent the skids B. The resilient member 38 forms a cushion bumper extending along the container A more particularly for the reason that it is curved up and down between its ends, as illustrated in Figure 6, and back andA forth horizontally to form the spring loops 38' adjacent the sides of the same and a center spring loop 4|), each of which projects out from the end of the container A, as illustrated in Figure 13. At the center of the bumper or resilient member 38 I provide a downwardly depending tongue 4| which is adapted to t intothe opening 42 of the yoke 31 when the containers A are connected in tandem, as illustrated in Figure 1. The tongue 4| also is adapted to t into the car yoke 42 which is secured to the end wall 43 of a railroad car in the manner illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. This yoke 42 has slanting bracket arms 44 which permit the container A tobe slid against the yoke 42 so that the tongue 4| of the bumper and connector 38 will be slipped down into engagement with the yoke 42, when it is desired to connect the container A to the end wall of the car. The connecting of the container A to the end wall is a simple operation of the lift truck D. The container is run up against the yoke 42 while it is elevated on the lift truck D and then as the lift truck D lowers the container A, the tongue 4| slips into the yoke 42. The container A is removed in the same manner, by lifting the same out of connection with the yoke 42. This is simple and practical and performs an important feature in providing a container having a structure fullling the essential The trussed construction of the plates IIJ and for the entire body of the container A permits a lighter weight container to be used and yet a strong, durable body construction is provided. The features further include the connecting of the containers in tandem and to the car, and providing end connector and bumper means, as well as yokes for interconnecting the containers.

It is also a material advantage to provide a resilient cushion in the skids which prevents sliding of the containers A and also cushions the contents of the same. With these advantages my shipping container is more desirable than the heavy, bulky constructions of` containers which have been used heretofore.

I claim:

1. A shipping container having, a body with a rectangular formation'the width of which will permit two of said containers to be positioned side by side in a railroad car of ordinary dimensions, and substantially lling the width of the car, side walls on said body, spacers extending up the side walls, the spacers on one container being staggered from the spacers on the adjacent container to facilitate the movement of the containers toward and away from each other, and resilient means having a downwardly extending hook thereon, and a cooperating bracket for receiving the hook of another container, for connecting said containers together in tandem.

2. A shipping container having a body portion, a yoke carried by said container and a connector formed of resilient material secured to said container and vertically slidably engageable with the yoke of another container whereby adjacent containers of a similar nature may be resiliently connected together.

3. A shipping container including, a body portion, a yoke connected on one end of said container, a spring bumper having an attaching tongue secured on the other end of said container -to providemeans for connecting similar containers by said yoke and spring bumper, said spring bumper also cushioning the end movement of the shipping Acontainer and providing means for con, necting the shipping container to a complemetal yoke iixed to the wall of a railroadcar.

4. A shipping container including a body portion havingfside Walls, a .resilient bumper means extending across one of said walls, and iixed means forming an integral part of saidbumper adapted to engage an adjacent shipping container.

5. Ashipping container connector for connecting adjacent containers includingv a resilient bumper on one container formed of resilient material, a rigid engaging projection thereon and rigid means on the adjacent container cooperating with said projection on said bumper for holding said containers together.

6. The connecting means for shipping containers including a means formed of resilient material on one container and a cooperating connecting means on a second container vertically slidably engageable with the resilient connecting means of the first named container.

CHARLES C. S'IETSON. 

